Michele Polacsek co-leads health impact assessment training

Michele Polacsek, Ph.D., MHS, associate professor in the Graduate Programs in Public Health, co-led a training on February 5, 2013, on how to conduct a health impact assessment (HIA) with a focus on obesity prevention.  The training was sponsored by UNE鈥檚 Center for Community and Public Health, 51小黄车 Alliance for Public Health Workforce Development, the Maine Prevention Research Center and the Maine Public Health Association.

HIAs are used by policymakers to assess a particular policy or program by evaluating its possible impact, by estimating its effects, and by assessing its potential health impact.  In addition, HIAs increase partnerships and communication, and improve the quality of public policy decision-making.

The 25 participants included individuals from state and local public health agencies, county government, community organizations, health systems, and Healthy Maine Partnerships.

The training is the first step in the development of an HIA that will be led by Polacsek.



 

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